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Every Cloud has a Quicksilver Lining: MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Every Cloud has a Quicksilver Lining: MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Hg 0. 80. Hg. Hg 2+. 200.59. CH 3 Hg +. Outline. Background Mercury in Adirondack Lake/Watersheds Mercury in Loons Historical Patterns of Mercury Deposition Utility Emission Controls Conclusions.

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Every Cloud has a Quicksilver Lining: MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT

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  1. Every Cloud has a Quicksilver Lining:MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT Hg0 80 Hg Hg2+ 200.59 CH3 Hg+

  2. Outline • Background • Mercury in Adirondack Lake/Watersheds • Mercury in Loons • Historical Patterns of Mercury Deposition • Utility Emission Controls • Conclusions

  3. History of Mercury Use Historical Uses • Making hat felts • Paints • Pesticides • Medical uses • Gold processing • Recent Uses • Chlorine manufacturing • Electrical fixtures • Paints • Scientific instruments • Dentistry

  4. History of Mercury in the Environment 1950s – 1970s Point Source Industrial Contamination Minimata Bay, Japan Death and neurological damage to several hundred people who ate contaminated fish. Chlor-alkali Facilities (Chlorine Production) - Sweden - U.S. – Onondaga Lake - Canada

  5. History of Mercury in the Environment (cont.) 1980s – 1990s Remote Contamination (Atmosphere?) Reservoir Construction – Canada Remote Lakes - Midwest U.S. - Northeast U.S. - Ontario - Quebec Everglades

  6. Forms of Mercury Hg0 -Elemental Mercury - Gas phase, highly insoluble - Not highly toxic - High exposure to vapors cause a neurotoxic response, “mad hatter” syndrome Hg2+ -Ionic Mercury -Liquid phase, soluble - Not highly toxic - Damage g.i. tract, kidneys and liver CH3Hg+ -Monomethyl Mercury -Biological tissue (muscle) - Neurotoxin – most toxic form of mercury

  7. 3

  8. æ ö - CH Hg fish 3 ç ÷ ç ÷ - CH Hg water è ø 3 Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) = log

  9. Health Advisories • U.S. FDA 1 ppm fish tissue • Several States, Canada 0.5 ppm fish tissue • EPA 0.3 ppm fish tissue • WHO 30 µg/day total consumption

  10. Mercury in Adirondack Lake/Watersheds

  11. Summary (n=1469)

  12. Total Mercury Concentrations in Precipitation at Huntington Forest

  13. R = 0.69 P = 0.0008 DOC DOC (µmol C L-1) % Wetland Area

  14. Typical Mercury Concentration in Freshwater (ng/L)

  15. Fish Hg Concentrations

  16. Sunday Lake Watershed Watershed -1340 ha Upland vegetation - second growth forest deciduous – 70% coniferous – 30% Wetlands - 20.5% of watershed palustrine forest and shrub conifers, riparian, beaver impoundmentsLake Surface area - 7.7 ha Mean depth - 2.5 m Chemistry pH 5.6 ANC 20 µeq/L DOC 10.3 mg C/L Fish Hg Mean 3+ to 5+ yellow perch 0.88 µg/g

  17. HgT Flux (ug/m2*yr) 20.7 13.2 10.3 2.1 13.9 5.3 2.4 2.5 1.1 2.0 1.5

  18. MeHg Flux (ug/m2*yr) 0.27 0.31 0.06 0.29 0.13 0.26 0.45 0.36 0.62 0.13 0.14

  19. Mercury in Loons

  20. Geographic Context for MeHg Availability Between Within • General increase from western to eastern North America • New England has some of the highest levels of MeHg availability

  21. Cumulative Perch Hg Levels Compared to Adult Loon Blood Hg Levels

  22. Loon Response to Hg Physiological response • Increased levels of stress hormones • Behavioral response • Decreases in nesting • Reproductive response • High risk loon pairs • Initiate 7% fewer nests • Hatch 31% fewer eggs • Fledge 40% fewer young

  23. Historical Patterns of Hg Deposition

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